Auburn's 40-17 drubbing of Georgia on Saturday afternoon was thorough in every aspect, yet the loser is still sitting prettier from a Southeastern Conference standpoint.
Coach Kirby Smart's Bulldogs entered Jordan-Hare Stadium having already punched their ticket to the league championship on Dec. 2 in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Gus Mazahn's Tigers, however, still have to knock off Nick Saban and undefeated Alabama for a rematch opportunity.
Auburn and Georgia have never met in an SEC title game, and Bulldogs senior receiver Javon Wims wouldn't mind the chance at atonement.
"Absolutely I would," Wims said Saturday after collecting three catches for 96 yards, "but we're going to play whoever wins that game. All I know is I hate losing more than I like winning. This is never a good feeling."
Alabama and Auburn will vie in another monstrous Iron Bowl on Nov. 25, but the Crimson Tide and Tigers must first dispatch of nonconference foes this week. The Crimson Tide, who remained No. 1 Sunday in the Associated Press and Amway coaches polls, will host Mercer on Saturday, while Auburn, which is now No. 6 in both polls, will host Louisiana-Monroe.
Georgia fell from No. 2 to No. 7 in the latest rankings, and the Bulldogs will learn their new standing in the latest College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night after owning the top spot the past two weeks.
For Smart, the focus shifts to Kentucky's visit to Sanford Stadium and an opportunity to close out a 7-1 league record before the regular-season finale Nov. 25 at Georgia Tech. Georgia has never gone 8-0 in SEC play since the league adopted an eight-game schedule in 1992, with the Bulldogs having gone 7-1 three previous times (2002, 2011 and 2012).
"This was a wake-up call," Smart said. "It wasn't that we didn't focus on Auburn or didn't prepare for Auburn. Auburn just had the better game plan and whipped us physically. Our job is to respond the right way and move on to Kentucky.
"You don't let Auburn beat you twice. Right? You go get ready to play Kentucky."
Georgia (9-1, 6-1) opened Sunday as a 21.5-point favorite over the Wildcats (7-3, 4-3).
The Bulldogs managed just 230 yards at Auburn and allowed a whopping 488. Georgia's ground game was held to 46 yards, its lowest total against the Tigers in at least 50 seasons, while Auburn continued its balanced ways with 251 passing yards and 237 rushing yards.
"We didn't play our brand of football on defense," Bulldogs junior linebacker Roquan Smith said. "Credit to them and their offense and what-not, but we didn't play our style. We didn't play the way we normally play defense in so many aspects. We've just got to look in the mirror and grow and come back from this.
"You never think a team is going to run and throw the ball on you like that. It's a reality check."
One reality is that Georgia is no longer perfect. Another reality is that a first SEC championship since 2005 is still attainable, whether that's against college football's premier program of the past decade or the team that just produced a 23-point decimation.
"It is what it is," Smith said. "Whoever we face, we'll be ready. I can tell you that."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.